The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for information processing, a program recording medium, a program, and a picture taking apparatus. Particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for information processing, a program recording medium, a program, and a picture taking apparatus that enable a desired image to be displayed by a small number of operations.
Conventionally, a picture taking apparatus having taken image (still image or moving image) data, audio data and the like recorded on a recording medium makes a list display of thumbnail images of recorded data (first I-pictures in the case of moving images) as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Thereby, desired data can be found from among the many pieces of data recorded on the recording medium.
FIG. 1 shows an example of display of a screen 1 on which thumbnail images are displayed in such a manner as to be arranged two-dimensionally. In the example of FIG. 1, pieces of data 1 to 32 are recorded in order of picture taking date and time on a recording medium 2. The screen 1 displays nine thumbnail images of data recorded on the recording medium 2 in three rows and three columns. The screen 1 is provided with a scroll 11 on a right side of the thumbnail images, which scroll is operated to select data of thumbnail images to be displayed on the screen 1 from among the pieces of data recorded on the recording medium 2.
In the example of FIG. 1, pieces of data 10 to 18 are selected from among the pieces of data 1 to 32 recorded on the recording medium 2 by operation of the scroll 11, and thumbnail images 10 to 18 corresponding to the selected pieces of data 10 to 18 are displayed on the screen 1. Then, a user operates the scroll 11 to scroll the screen 1 up or down while viewing the screen 1. Thereby a range X of the selected data (data 10 to 18 in the example of FIG. 1) is moved to a right or a left on the recording medium 2, and thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the moved and selected range X are displayed on the screen 1.
FIG. 2 shows an example of display of a screen on which thumbnail images are arranged in one vertical column for list display in conjunction with corresponding image information. In FIG. 2, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are identified by corresponding reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. In the example of FIG. 2, three thumbnail images corresponding to pieces of data 15 to 17 among pieces of data recorded on a recording medium 2 are displayed in one vertical column on a screen 1. Image information such as a name, picture taking time and the like of each thumbnail image is displayed on a side of the thumbnail image.
Also in the example of FIG. 2, a user operates a scroll 11 to scroll the screen 1 up or down, whereby a range X of the selected data (data 15 to 17 in the example of FIG. 2) is moved to a right or a left on the recording medium 2, and thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the moved and selected range X are displayed on the screen 1.
As described above, the range of display on the screen 1 is limited in the picture taking apparatus and the like. To display thumbnail images of all the data recorded on the recording medium 2, the scroll 11 or the like needs to be used, and a function for the user to operate the scroll 11 is required. In addition, in a case where a large amount of data is recorded on the single recording medium 2, the scroll 11 needs to be operated many times before a thumbnail image of desired data is reached. The case where a large amount of data is recorded on the recording medium 2 will be described in the following with reference to FIG. 3.
In the example of FIG. 3, 96 pieces of data recorded on the recording medium 2 are shown in order of picture taking date and time. Suppose for example that a user desires a thumbnail image of the 85th piece of data ※ (a hatched part in the figure) from a start of the 96 pieces of data recorded on the recording medium 2 to be displayed on the screen.
First, when the user gives an instruction for list display, nine thumbnail images corresponding to a range Y1 including nine pieces of data from the first piece of data y1 from the start of the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-1. In the example of FIG. 3, the user operates a scroll 11-1 to scroll the screen 1-1 in a downward direction, whereby the range of the selected data on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y2 including nine pieces of data from the 10th piece of data y2 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y2 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-2.
Next, the user operates a scroll 11-2 to scroll the screen 1-2 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y3 including nine pieces of data from the 19th piece of data y3 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y3 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-3. The user operates a scroll 11-3 to scroll the screen 1-3 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y4 including nine pieces of data from the 28th piece of data y4 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y4 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-4. Further, the user operates a scroll 11-4 to scroll the screen 1-4 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y5 including nine pieces of data from the 37th piece of data y5 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y5 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-5.
Similarly, the user operates a scroll 11-5 to scroll the screen 1-5 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y6 including nine pieces of data from the 46th piece of data y6 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y6 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-6. The user operates a scroll 11-6 to scroll the screen 1-6 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y7 including nine pieces of data from the 55th piece of data y7 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y7 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-7. Further, the user operates a scroll 11-7 to scroll the screen 1-7 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y8 including nine pieces of data from the 64th piece of data y8 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y8 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-8.
Similarly, the user operates a scroll 11-8 to scroll the screen 1-8 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y9 including nine pieces of data from the 73rd piece of data y9 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y9 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-9. The user operates a scroll 11-9 to scroll the screen 1-9 in a downward direction, whereby the selected data range on the recording medium 2 is moved to a range Y10 including nine pieces of data from the 82nd piece of data y10 from the start of the recording medium 2. Nine thumbnail images corresponding to the data in the range Y10 selected on the recording medium 2 are displayed on a screen 1-10. Thus, the thumbnail image of the 85th piece of data ※ from the start of the recording medium 2 can finally be displayed at a fourth position from the first thumbnail image on the screen 1-10 after the nine operations of the scroll 11 (displaying the 10 screens).
As described above, when a large amount of data is recorded on one recording medium, the scroll needs to be operated many times before a thumbnail image of desired data is reached. Thus the operation is troublesome.
Accordingly, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-177789) proposes a data management method that improves ease of use by dividing pieces of data recorded on a recording medium into groups using picture taking intervals of these pieces of data, and displaying an image of the first piece of data in the groups.
However, when the amount of data recorded on the recording medium is further increased, the above-described data management method requires scroll operation or the like at the time of display after all, thus requiring a function for scrolling.
In addition, the above-described data management method requires manual setting of a picture taking interval serving as a reference for the grouping. The setting is troublesome, and differences in the picture taking interval varying according to the individual and conditions cannot be accommodated.